Lithuania may contribute some funds to a new protective cover to be built over the destroyed fourth reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

Evelina Butkutė-Lazdauskienė, spokeswoman for the Lithuanian prime minister, told BNS that the government may use development cooperation funds for this purpose and that the Foreign Ministry is in charge of this matter.

Lithuania back in 2011 provided 10,000 euros for the project, which is important for the country, she said.

The so-called New Safe Confinement is being built to prevent the reactor complex from leaking radioactive material into the environment.

Germany, which currently holds the presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations, has called for financial contributions to help complete the project as scheduled. Some 1.5 billion euros have been pledged so far, but an additional 615 million euros are needed.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has already decided to provide an additional 350 million euros and the G7 countries are expected to contribute 165 million euros.

Germany is holding a pledging conference in London on Apr. 29 to secure new funding to complete the sarcophagus.